Ulva prolifera (Chlorophyta): a suitable material to remove Cd2+ from aquatic environments

Heavy metal pollution in aquatic environments is a significant environmental problem. Marine macroalgae are novel materials for the removal of heavy metals from water, aided by their large biomass and the feature of easy collection. In this study, Ulva prolifera O.F.Müller was used to remove cadmium ions (Cd2+) from the aquatic environment. We examined the Cd2+ absorption capacity of the thalli in a factorial experiment using fresh thalli cultivated in seawater, freshwater, water containing domestic garbage, water containing industrial waste and elutriant of soil with additional Cd2+. In addition, changes in photosynthetic activity of thalli were investigated. A significant decrease of maximum quantum yield and effective photochemical quantum yield of PSII (YII) indicated Cd2+ was transported into the cells and seriously inhibited photosynthesis. Furthermore, the Cd2+ absorption capacity was relatively high. The results indicated the suitability of U. prolifera for removing Cd2+ from aquatic environments of different backgrounds.